Conventionally newspaper vendors have been constructed entirely from metal. Originally such vendors comprised simply a covered box open at the front having a cash box for the insertion of coins. However, significant losses were incurred by operators of such newspaper vendors, due to persons removing newspapers from the vendor without depositing the required coinage. Accordingly, enclosed newspaper vendors were developed, in which the interior of the vendor is accessible only through a door locked by a latch which is operated by a coin mechanism. A user must deposit the required coinage in order to release the latch and obtain access to newspapers inside the vendor.
Such vendors have been and continue to be made entirely or substantially of metal. This is primarily because a vending machine must be capable of withstanding the elements and be reasonably secure from theft and vandalism which requires extremely close tolerances in the door and latch mechanisms. These tolerances are virtually impossible to attain with plastic which tends to expand and shrink, and warp over time when exposed to the elements. Moreover, substantial strength in the exterior panels is required, so that deposited coins will not be stolen and the coin operated latch mechanism cannot be easily circumvented. Plastic does not provide the strength to resist theft or vandalism, but metal is expensive and does not withstand the elements well, rusting and decomposing over time and thus causing mechanical and security problems, as well as aesthetic deterioration.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a plastic newspaper vendor with a metal insert for dispensing newspapers, magazines or the like. The metal insert comprises a secure storage compartment for storing coins, and includes provisions for a door, latch, coin mechanism and cash box. Thus, the mechanisms and structures which require close tolerances are formed of metal, and deposited coins are stored in a secure metal compartment which resists theft and tampering. However, the insert itself is contained within a plastic cabinet that protects the metal insert from the elements while being less expensive and more durable than metal vendor cabinets.
One of the primary difficulties encountered in producing such a newspaper vendor is the manner of attaching the metal insert to the plastic cabinet. There is no known satisfactory method for attaching metal to plastic which is sufficiently durable and secure that the insert cannot be simply detached from the plastic housing and carted away by a thief. The present invention provides a means for slip-fitting the insert into the plastic cabinet, and blocking the insert into an upper portion of the cabinet, thus preventing removal of the insert except by authorized service personnel. The present invention also permits a single plastic cabinet to be utilized with metal inserts of various designs, for vending tabloid style newspapers, broad sheet style newspapers, magazines, etc. as may be desirable at any particular time.
The present invention further provides a locking mechanism for the secure compartment which is wholly contained within the vendor. Conventionally a housing is affixed to the top of a storage container, and contains the latch mechanism and cash box. The housing is closed at the back by a hood which is locked to the housing using a bolt and padlock, both exposed to the elements. The present invention locates the access to the secure compartment at the front thereof, closed by a hinged panel which is locked by a spring-loaded latch located inside the compartment and locked by a padlock located in the inventory storage area where it is protected from the elements.